“Having someone stand by and take a picture of the car, that’s something special,” she said. “It means more than a trophy.”

It’s all for the love of the car.

Judy and her husband, Marv, of Lamont, said they’ve toured the country with their SSR in events like the Hot Rod Power Tour for years. Being a part of something like this, they said, is like being part of a unique community.

“The first year we did it … we had three guys come over after we parked our car and they asked, ‘Hey, what club are you in?’” Judy said. “I didn’t know what they were talking about — they were talking about this online forum. We joined and we’ve met so many great friends along the way.”

The Schuilings were drawn to the SSR after seeing a prototype in the fall of 2002.